A Rebound source close to Leicester City’s recruitment department has claimed via late-night Viber message that the club is ‘poised’ to ‘reshape’ its transfer policy in order to secure the signing of Celtic and Scotland superstar Scott Brown.
“With the arrival of Brendan Rodgers, HR realised it needed to back up the new head coach with a marquee signing,” says the source. “Rapidly, after covert discussions with Brendan it was decided that Broony’s the man for the job.”
It is believed that Rodgers will be presented with a “significant” warchest to pull off what some at the club feel would be the “transfer coup of the century”, with funds previously earmarked for elsewhere being consolidated into a “Broony Kitty”.
“The club are prepared to spend about 80 million quid in the summer, but had originally intended to spread that across two or three big-name players,” continues our source. “After those crunch talks with Brendan, the decision was made instead to pump those monies into a massive fee-plus-wages offer for Scott.”
It’s unclear whether the purchase of Brown was a prerequisite for Rodgers putting pen to paper at the King Power, but comments reportedly emerging from the Northern Irishman’s camp suggest this may be the case.
“Look, Brendan knows what Broony can do,” says a source close to the ex-Ballymena United defender. “He’s been going around Glasgow for years telling everyone he’s better than Xavi at his peak, and that maybe only Thiago Alcantara is a better passer in world football at the moment.
“When Brendan met with the boys from Leicester, he told them Broony could be the ‘new Kanté’ and would drive them to another Premier League title by 2021. The recruitment team appear to have listened to him, and are now making a big push to get the Broonyman down south for the first time in his career, where I’m sure he’ll thoroughly enjoy booting the arses off the English lads every weekend.”
Brown is said to be “central” to Rodgers’ plans for the future of Leicester, though at 33 likely only has six or seven more seasons left at the top of the game. That doesn’t appear to be putting off the Foxes, however, who are purported to consider the 55-times capped Scottish international as an ideal role model for young tyro James Maddison.
“Maddison can learn a lot from Broony,” states another source. “We don’t feel James kicks people hard enough in the tackle, and he could do with a bit of guidance on what’s the best blade-length to ask for when you’re getting your head scalped in the barbers. Maddy also lacks a touch of sharpness in the elbow department, and his goal celebrations aren’t anywhere near as passionate as they should be.”
Celtic are yet to comment publicly on the situation, but a club insider has suggested they’ll fight tooth and nail to keep Brown in Glasgow.
The Rebound is Paddy Power’s weekly breaking news story that may not actually have happened or be real in any way.
Leicester are 325/1 to be relegated from the Premier League in 2018-19